This is a non-provisional application claiming priority under provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/107,174, filed Nov. 5, 1998.
This invention relates to a communication system architecture (SA) for a vehicle which may be integrated into the vehicle""s multiplexed electronic component communication system, and a process for communicating with the vehicle to provide information for and about the vehicle""s operational status and coordinating the vehicle""s activities. The system architecture includes an off board communication network. The communication system will include a multi-functional antenna system for the vehicle that will have the capability to receive AM/FM radio and video signals, and transmit and receive citizens band (CB) radio signals, short range radio frequency, satellite and microwave and cellular phone communications. The antenna may be installed as original equipment or as a back-fit part in the after-market. In either case the multi-functional antenna will be integrated with the vehicle""s multiplexed electronic component communication system. The process for communicating with the vehicle will involve a communication service for which the vehicle""s driver will enroll for and service will continue so long as maintenance fees are paid. The service will be capable of providing various levels of information transfer and coordination. The levels may include vehicle information such as (1) the need for servicing and location of the nearest service center with the necessary parts in stock, (2) routing, and (3) load brokering and coordination. The modular design of the system architecture (SA) will allow it to be employed with the vehicle platform which does not possess a full multiplexed electronic component communications system. The resulting vehicle, using an aftermarket application package, will be able to participate in some of the services.
Vehicle communication systems have been described before in the prior art. These systems in some cases related to vehicle maintenance and service. None of them took a direct feed of vehicle status from the vehicle internal communication system. Some of the prior art systems provided routing instructions. None of them used the concept of independent vehicles in a network as probes for information on driving condition status. None of the prior art coordinated vehicle load transfers of independent carriers to allow the independent day trip carriers to act in concert for long distance load transfers.
The invention is an intelligent information system architecture and process for commercial and other transportation vehicles that provides improved productivity, effectiveness, safety and other benefits. Moreover, the system architecture is tailored to the different businesses.
Commercial vehicles are tools for businesses. Like any tool, the commercial vehicle may be used in various applications depending on the businesses specific needs. All commercial vehicles require some kind of external information to enhance the use or performance of the vehicle. Of this information, some is generic to all businesses using commercial vehicles and some is specific to particular industries. The commercial vehicle platform required by this invention has an internal communication system with multiplexed electronic components using wireless as well as wired communications. Electronic components are communicated with and controlled through this network. Included among the electronic components is a multi-functional antenna system for the vehicle. The antenna(s) system will replace all current vehicle antennas such as CB, cellular, TV, and AM/FM/Weatherband radio, satellite, LORAN navigation, and other bands of the electromagnetic spectrum. The antenna(s) system may be installed as original factory equipment in the vehicle or as after market equipment. Also, included amongst the electronic equipment on the commercial vehicle platform are all the numerous speakers, microphones, and enunciators contained on the vehicle, and integrated into a modular integrated package.
The multiplexed system may gather the status of various operating parameters of the vehicle from the electronic components. The operating status of the vehicle may be uplinked through the multi-functional antenna system to one or more external communications control centers (ECCC). The ECCCs and the enrolled vehicle platforms generally comprise the communications system architecture (SA), although the SA is expected to include service and parts centers as well as weather, and routing and traffic tracking centers. There are three anticipated phases to implement the SA. They are:
1. Maintenance and Service
2. Routing and Trip Information
3. Business Specific Information/Coordination
All phases involve at a minimum two way communication between the ECCC and the enrolled vehicle platforms. The vehicle platforms may be any mobile vehicle. Only medium and heavy duty trucks and people transportation buses are described for illustration here. Additional components or functions which may be included into the platform system by the use of software modules and/or hardware components which once installed in an electronic cabinet will integrate the additional functions into the multiplexed system. This installation will make use of standardized modules and interface components.
Phase One (1) involves the maintenance and servicing of the vehicle platforms. The internal multiplexing system of the vehicle platforms will interconnect all of the electronic components of the vehicle. As such the status of vehicle systems may be uplinked to the ECCC without driver intervention. The status will include, but is not limited to key engine parameters provided from the engine electronic control module, transmission controller, anti-lock brake (ABS) status from the ABS controller, and trailer load and installation status, as well as truck cargo and conditions. The status information is only limited as far as to electronic component inputs which may be provided. The ECCC will analyze the vehicle operating status and downlink information and instructions to the vehicle. The downlinked information will include maintenance needs of the vehicle. Such maintenance needs might include the need for immediate service. In this case the downlinked information will include the location of the nearest vehicle service center which has the parts in stock to effect the repairs. It will also include routing instructions to get to the nearest service center. Routing instructions will be discussed further below in the description of Phase Two (2) Routing and Trip Information. The multiplexed vehicle electronic controllers will be able to sense erratic operation of the vehicle using monitors on steering, engine, and brake components as well as the trailer status. Should the uplinked status indicate an erratic driving pattern, the ECCC will contact the driver directly recommending a break and if necessary contact the vehicle""s owner and in a last case notify highway or police authorities to provide warnings. The vehicle platform may also be configured to provide immediate feedback directly to the operator based on the business needs of the owner.
The Phase 1 information is viewed as generic type information valuable to owners of all mobile vehicles with particular interest to commercial vehicle owners.
The multiplexed vehicle may include infrared heat sensing apparatus, among apparatus using other frequency ranges and pressure sensing devices, to detect animals, vehicles and other heat emitting objects during poor visibility or nighttime driving. This will include the ability to sense the range to objects being approached. The electronic controllers will provide the driver warnings of the status directly through the integrated speakers and will uplink the information to the ECCC so the animal crossings may be provided to enrolled vehicle platforms in the vicinity. The ECCC will use the vehicle platforms with their sensory inputs as probes to establish a real time picture of a particular region; thereby, augmenting the information provided by any one service.
Phase 2 involves routing and trip information for the enrolled vehicle platforms. At the drivers active request or upon regular intervals, the ECCC will provide routing information to the enrolled vehicles. The ECCC will have a running fix of the enrolled vehicles"" locations. The routing information will allow the drivers of the vehicle platforms to choose and use the most efficient routes to transit. Prior art routing information included the best path based upon the shortest distance. Of course the shortest mileage is not necessarily the most efficient route. The ECCC will also have a geographic fix of devices and locations pertinent to the business and its needs. The ECCC upon sensing the uplinked location of the vehicle platforms will analyze the location of the vehicle. The ECCC will then collect input traffic information throughout the NAFTA countries (or other contiguous geographic regions) from Department of Transportation (DOT) repeaters (or international equivalent service), weather information from the National Weather Service (or international equivalent service) and other route effecting information from news services such as civil unrest or labor strife, as well as the shortest distance routing information. The traffic condition ECCC will then provide a cohesive route plan through electronic downlinking to the enrolled vehicle platforms with automatic updates upon the changing of the input information. Phase 2 routing information will be very useful in regional or line haul applications where a cohesive route plan means significant savings in operator costs and shipping expenses. Additionally, the routing information will be valuable for any business which has vehicles traveling in environments which are subject to rapidly changing conditions.
The school bus industry could utilize the varying downlinked routing plans during foul weather as well as providing instructions to substitute drivers unfamiliar with normal planned routes. The geographic reference information part of the routing information may be used to notify the operator and ECCC of both ideal and hazardous geographic zones.
The electric, gas, and telephone utility industry could use the routing information to direct work crews during response to foul weather or emergencies. In these situations, utilities are known to borrow crews and vehicles from utilities from other locations, sometimes from as far as thousands of miles away. Prior art vehicle tracking did not include visiting crew vehicles and coordination was not cohesive or well controlled. The ECCC can provide routing to these borrowed work crews and vehicles to coordinate response and the use of the vehicle as a tool for the business.
Municipal emergency vehicle small and large fleets could use the routing information to ensure that emergency vehicles such as police, fire, and ambulance vehicles may avoid obstacles such as traffic jams, bad weather, closed roads, open draw bridges, and the like. The ECCC input information will include the status of these intra-city and country obstructions to smooth passage and use this information to compute and downlink the most effective route to the emergency response vehicles. As with utility vehicles, some events or conditions require a response from out of area crews and vehicles. The ECCC routing and trip information will be invaluable to providing command and control of the out of area as well as local emergency vehicles and crews.
Phase Three (3) involves Business Specific Information/Coordination. For some business applications this will require the enrollment of vehicle platforms in various key locations throughout the participating countries. The general process involves gathering the locations of participating vehicles, evaluating the required tasks, and then directing the enrolled vehicle platforms to the locations to enhance the overall performance of the participating vehicles and organizations. Phase 3 will integrate the information transfers and controls of Phases 1 and 2 in that only vehicles which are in a proper operating status will be directed to be applied as tools for the desired functions, and in most cases routing directions will be required to fully coordinate diverse and far flung work crews or vehicles for work efforts.
In the utility area, for instance, the multiplexed vehicle platforms will also include electronic seat sensors or other occupant detection devices to monitor the manning levels of the response vehicles. This information will be uplinked by the multi-functional antenna system to provide manpower response estimates of the crews. The ECCC will track man hours worked in order to control overtime and ensure legal work hour requirements such as required in Department of Transportation (DOT) or Nuclear Regulatory Commission 10 C.F.R. 20 regulations are not exceeded. The electronic sensors in the multiplexed vehicle platform may also be used to track passenger entry and egress from buses. Information will be uplinked to record completed missions and to plan optimized pick-up locations.
The most far reaching application of Phase 3 business coordination is related to the regional and line haul trucking businesses. Phase 3 for these businesses involves a xe2x80x98Pony Expressxe2x80x99 Service for transposing goods. Under this brokerage service vehicle owners or drivers will sign up to make deliveries within a geographic radius so that they may make transfers of goods (i.e. trailer loads) and enable them to return to their home each night. A 200-300 mile radius will allow a driver to make a pickup and transfer along a route to another driver in an adjacent 200-300 mile radius circle in order to move shipments of goods. In this way Phase 3 will allow regional day hauler tractor trailers to participate in a national or NAFTA or international transportation system while still sleeping in their own beds each night. It will allow small trucking entities to be more coordinated than large fleets due to the integration of vehicle operating status and routing under Phases 1 and 2. The integration of the independently owned multiplexed vehicle platforms will allow individual owners or small trucking firms to compete on an international level with minimum investment. Phase 3 implementation will need to be delayed until drivers with the overlapping work radii are enrolled in the Phase 1 and 2 services. Once the ECCC receives a request for a load transfer, it will contact the vehicle platforms within the most efficient transit path based upon the calculated Phase 2 routing analysis. Once the impacted drivers electronically agree to participate in the specific load transfer, the automatic routing information will commence with allowance for calculating rendezvous points. The load will be tracked using the Phase 1 service until completion of the journey. The load owner will be periodically automatically updated on delivery status if he or she so desires.